10 Final thoughts from the Indians 12-3 victory over the host Cincinnati Reds in the second game of Cactus League play Thursday at Goodyear Ballpark.

1) Carlos Santana made his Cactus League debut at third base, but it ended up being an uneventful two innings at the so-called hot corner. The only activity the converted catcher saw was being on the receiving end of a relay throw from shortstop Mike Aviles and tagging out Red’s shortstop Zack Cozart trying to stretch his double into a triple.

The Cincinnati Reds left Goodyear Ballpark late Wednesday afternoon with early bragging rights in the first of three games against their neighboring rival Indians courtesy of an 8-3 victory in the Cactus League opener for both teams.

Perhaps the most important key for the Indians early in the game was how well young right-hander Trevor Bauer pitched after spending all last season revamping his delivery. Bauer, 23, physically looked better thanks to a much smoother delivery, but the results weren’t a ringing endorsement that he’s ready to grab the fifth spot in the rotation just yet.

Back in the day, baseball players worked during the offseason. Way before the days of multi-year guaranteed contracts, they had to in order to continue paying the bills and taking care of their families.

While coaching and managing in the minors, current Indians third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh spent his off seasons working as a grade school substitute teacher back home in Pennsylvania.

Monday was one of those days you just can’t really prep yourself for. The quiet, little routine the handful of us local reporters had settled into the last two weeks was thrown into chaos when the Indians spring training complex morphed into a beehive of activity that made for a long day and a hectic atmosphere.

With the Tribe’s first spring training game Wednesday when they open Cactus League play against the neighboring Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, all kinds of media have descended upon the place.

Major League Baseball’s “experimental” rule 7.13 that details the league’s new stance on home plate collisions was met with guarded optimism by a handful of the team’s catchers and manager Terry Francona Monday afternoon.

The Indians players and manager were just heading into the clubhouse of their spring training complex when they were greeted with the news that the highly-anticipated rule already dubbed the “Buster Posey Rule” was finally agreed to after weeks of negotiations over the proper wording.

Sunday brought with it the nugget of news that young right-hander Trevor Bauer is slated to start the Indians first Cactus League game Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

The news also happened to come on the same day that Bauer, who spent all last season rebuilding his delivery, had a rough bullpen session that Indians manager Terry Francona admitted left Bauer “frustrated.”

Indians spring training camp brought with it Saturday the realization that baseball players can find it just as rewarding to collect baseball cards as fans do. I mean, who knew?

Before heading for home following Saturday’s workout, right-handed pitcherCarlos Carrasco to took a minute to page through a large black binder stuffed full of Topps baseball cards neatly stored in hundreds of clear vinyl pages.

Friday proved to be as exciting as it’s been so far in Indians spring training camp, with plenty of action going on around the various diamonds, the day marking the first that pitchers were allowed to throw live batting practice to hitters.

And while a couple pitchers proved to be ahead of the curve for this time of camp by sawing off a couple of their teammates bats, once again a lot of the fun was had after the workout in the clubhouse.

It was a quiet day on the field at Indians camp Thursday with nothing much out of the norm happening save for news that reliever Matt Capps was being shut down for a couple weeks with a strained right shoulder.

But it proved to be a spirited one in the clubhouse as many players found themselves wrapped up in the world of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Wednesday at Indians camp proved to be one of those days where the longer the day went on, the more odd the events became.

NEW SHERRIFF IN TOWN –Up first on the day’s agenda for Indians players was a meeting with seven members of the Arizona State Police Department who were dressed in their black uniforms complete with holstered guns. The topic of the half hour meeting in the club’s spacious locker room was specifics of the state’s strict drinking and driving laws.

DAY 7 - Today marks one week I’ve been in Goodyear, Ariz., covering Indians camp and I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me – whether it be Indians seasonal employees around the complex or fans looking for a glimpse of the team working out – to ask how Sheldon Ocker is doing and then graciously welcome me to the coverage.

For starters, Sheldon is a legend who covered the Indians beat for the ABJ for more than three decades. I’m happy to report he’s doing just fine, although he’s stopped taking my calls recently because he’s tired of me begging him to please come back and lend me a hand.

Like Groundhog Day, spring days out here in the warm desert (sorry, low blow considering the blue blob of a winter storm I watched creep towards the Midwest all day) are starting to blend into one another the way they tend to during the summer when it’s impossible to tell whether it’s a Saturday or Thursday. But a quick peek at the calendar tells me today is Monday. So, yeah, we’ll go with that.

Mind you, I’m not complaining. I love baseball the way some people love beer. Or peanut butter. Or in my case, Dodger Dogs and the Giants' garlic fries. Understand, baseball was my first love as a tomboy growing up in Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium. And it will remain that way until the day I die and my ashes are sprinkled in McCovey Cove just beyond the outfield at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

Day 5 at Indians camp came and went without much incident, but not without it’s share of interesting moments from the get go.

For starters, after commenting (notice I did not use the word “complain”) in yesterday’s blog about not having a proper nametag at my work station in the media room, someone was nice enough to fix the situation for me. Well, sort of.

Major League baseball may just be easing into the start of spring training, but college basketball is in full conference swing as the calendar nears the month of March and the glorious madness it brings along with it.

Typically, that’s good news for huge University of Arizona fan and alum Terry Francona.

A repost from this morning now that the Indians have made the deal official:The Indians added more depth to their pitching mix by signing veteran Aaron Harang to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp Saturday.Although the 12-year veteran arrived at the Tribe’s spring training complex some fours hours before he passed his physical, Tribe general manager Chris Antonetti later said the two sides had been in talks for some time.“On and off for at least a portion of the off season,” Antonetti admitted. “But it intensified over the last two or three weeks.”The 6-foot-7, 260-pound right-hander owns a career 110-116 record, including a 5-12 mark from last year while pitching for the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets.“He pitched well at the end of the year and his stuff was consistent with where it’s been in the past,” Antonetti said. “He maintained consistent strikeout rates and his walk rates actually improved. He just gave up more home runs last year.” In eight seasons with the Cincinnati Reds during his prime Harang, 35, won at least 10 games four times. He’s also pitched for the Oakland A’s, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.In Indians camp, he joins a growing group competing for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Day Two of Indians camp with pitchers and catchers working out (technically Day Three of Steph reporting from Goodyear) came and went Friday, but not without its share of standard developments and interesting tidbits.

For developments, you’ll have to check out the Akron Beacon Journal and/or Ohio.com for my Indians story about why Tribe skipper Terry Francona loves him some pitchers (in honor of Valentine’s Day, of course) and my notebook that touches on a handful of hurlers in Trevor Bauer, Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, Jake Westbrook and Josh Tomlin.

Indians pitchers and catchers had their first official workout today in Goodyear, Ariz. But aside from minor league right-hander Bryan Price tweaking a hamstring while backing up a base, there wasn’t a whole lot of breaking news happening Thursday at the Indians complex.

Three days after word got out that the Indians locked up left fielder Michael Brantley to a long term deal, the club made the move official Thursday. Check back later for more details from the scheduled noon (MT) presser with Brantley and Indians GM Chris Antonetti. In the meantime, here's the Tribe's press release:

It was a fairly quiet day at the Indians spring training headquarters in Goodyear, Arizona, Wednesday. Aside from the team adding to its ever-growing, low-risk, high-upside stock in veteran pitcher Kyle Davies (minor league contract), second-year manager Terry Francona and his coaches wrapped up the last of pre-spring training individual meetings. Meanwhile, players who reported to camp Tuesday but hadn’t had a chance to complete their pre-season physicals did so after some brief morning work.

A day after pitchers and catchers were to report to spring training, minor league catcher Roberto Perez was the only player who hadnt arrived. However, the Puerto Rican native is expected to arrive sometime Wednesday evening after just wrapping up play in the Caribbean World Series.

When right-handed pitcher A.J. Burnett signed a one-year $16 million deal with the Phillies Wednesday, it took another free agent pitcher off the market. With time until the season gets underway dwindling by the day, former Indians picther Ubaldo Jimenez remains without a team.

The Indians signed right-handed pitcher Kyle Davies to a minor league contract Wednesday. Because the deal does not include an invitation to big league camp, Davies is expected to report to Goodyear when minor league camp opens Feb. 25.

Davies,30, has pitched in the major leagues with the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals, owning a 43-65 record. But he missed the 2012 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, then spent last year rehabbing in the minors in the Minnesota Twins farm system.

The Indians avoided at least one of their four potential arbitration cases Monday night, agreeing with outfielder Michael Brantley on a four-year, $25 million contract.

According to multiple sources, the deal for the Tribe’s leftfielder could reach $36 million if an additional $11 million club option is exercised in 2018. The Indians had not yet officially announced the deal as of Monday night at press time.

Indians signed free agentfirst baseman/outfielder Bryan LaHair to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to major league spring training camp.

LaHair, 31, is a veteran of three Major League seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2008) and the Chicago Cubs (2011-12), batting .260 with 26 doubles, 21 home runs and 56 RBI in 195 games with a .764 OPS.

The Indians confirmed Tuesday that an agreement was reached over the grievance filed on Nick Hagadone's behalf by the Major League Baseball Players Association regarding an incident two years ago. In the settlement, the left-handed pitcher was awarded both service time and compensation for time spent on the minor league disqualified list in 2012.

The incident that spurred the grievance originated on July 6, 2012 when a struggling Hagadone was taken out of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays after giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. On his way to the clubhouse, a frustrated Hagadone slammed a door and ended up breaking a bone in his left forearm that required surgery.